Popovich ‘disappointed’ with $250,000 fine

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said he was “disappointed” with the NBA’s $250,000 fine on his organization after the decision to send four players home prior to last Thursday’s game in Miami.

“What I do from my perspective is a coaching perspective,” he said. “I think the league operates from a business perspective, and that’s reflected in the action they took. That’s that, and we move on.”

Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Danny Green all flew home via commercial air on the morning of San Antonio’s fourth road game in five days, and the final outing of a six-game, nine-day road trip.

The Spurs, despite missing six of their top eight scorers — Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Jackson were both left home with injuries — battled to the final minute before losing 105-100.

NBA commissioner David Stern threatened “substantial sanctions” in a statement issued before tip-off, and followed up with a fine that tied for the fifth-largest in league history.

“The Spurs decided to make four of their top players unavailable for an early-season game that was the team’s only regular-season visit to Miami,” Stern said via a statement accompanying the fine. “The team also did this without informing the Heat, the media, or the league office in a timely way. Under these circumstances, I have concluded that the Spurs did a disservice to the league and our fans.”

Popovich, who has rested players for a handful of other games in recent seasons, said he did not discuss with the league office how to handle similar situations in the future, nor would he say if he will change his approach.

“I don’t have a crystal ball,” he said.

He also declined to address a potential appeal, saying any further communication between the Spurs and the NBA will remain private.

“That’s not a confirmation or anything like that,” he said. “I have no idea. It’s out of my hands.”